Whole-grain foods are healthy because they contain fiber. A diet high in fiber can help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Fiber causes food to stay in your stomach longer, so you fell full and your blood sugar doesn’t go up as quickly after you eat. Whole grains, such as whole-wheat flour and brown rice, also have more fiber than refined white flour and white rice.

Whole grains and other high-fiber foods help your health in many ways, including:

helping to control blood sugar and blood cholesterol

making you feel full, so you eat less

preventing constipation, or hard bowel movements

How To Eat More Fiber

It’s easy to get more fiber. Just replace foods you already eat with foods containing more fiber such as whole-grain foods. For example: